(A/n) Well, I don't know what's wrong. I guess people don't like stories that don't have Sesshoumaru act like a total cheese puff from the beginning… Only a couple reviews, once again. so sad But I really appreciate it Spdsgirl… whiteforest23, you guys are pals XD.
Okay, I'm really sorry for the lack of updates… I was REALLY busy.. I dun wanna explain, so too bad. Hope u like the chappie
OMG! I just realized I had a chapter in my story that was an author's note and was taking up space. I'm a silly willy.
Disclaimer: Rumiko, I ain't ownin' them no mo. They yours…happy? Now I sound southun…hehe.
Death, Emotion, and Everything in Between
Chapter Eight
Kagome, Night
The very first thing someone in the spirit world learns is that the spiritual world of Kami and the physical world are connected by a strand of silver. This strand is impossible to see in a place other than a mind, so the best place to get a hold of it, of course, is in a dream. But, filled with worry and excitement at the same time due to today's happenings, I find it impossible to fall asleep. Will Sesshoumaru attempt to kill me after what I had done? Is it possible for him to kill me, being an Immortal? Is Inuyasha hurt? So many questions and not a single answer. I turn onto my side. And how in the world am I to convince an infuriated Sesshoumaru that his brother, whom he hates so very much, is still capable of being alive?
Why does all this sound so stupid to me now? I just don't understand why it ever made sense that Sesshoumaru would help me. But it's not like I can turn to anyone else… And why the hell am I a Miko anyway? I never asked for it. All I ever wanted to do was go home. No, that's not right either. All I ever wanted to do is be with Inuyasha. But that's not an option if he's technically not alive. And I know that he chose Kikyou, but hey, its not like …
Home. I wonder what Mom is doing right now. And Souta. A tear slides down my cheek. Will I ever go home? Is the well still working? By all rights, I should be home right now. The well allowed me to travel here because the jewel had not been used, and now Inuyasha is nowhere to use it. I turn back to face the ceiling.
WHY IS THIS HAPPENING TO ME? I scream in my mind. A moment passes and I sigh. My sigh wakes me up and I steel my mind. I am in no position to wonder about such things. I have a duty now, and I must never forget it. My duty is to the Western Lands, and whatever monster occupies it…But I miss them so much. And Sango, Miroku, Shippo. The pain curls me into a ball and more tears pass my closed eyelids. I hate this life. And with that I fall asleep.
Kagome's Dream
How did this happen? I look around to find to silver strand. Concentrate, I tell myself as I see myself appear from the black matter that was my dream world. I transfer my consciousness to the Kagome in my dream and resume on concentrating so that the strand may appear. "There it is!" I say out loud to my dream world. It is hanging a few yards in front of me and I take a step forward. I run to it before it disappears. Grabbing on to the string I yell the password "!"
Immediately, all of the solid everythings around me vanish and I find myself relocated in an immense library. There are floating candles everywhere and the shelves of the bookcases reach limits unknown to man. The candles cast a gloomy blue light about the place, instead of the usual yellow candlelight. In result, the shelves are drenched in a light blue, though they are in fact a color that is all the colors and none of them- like having white and black in the same time and place without turning into grey. I am standing in the room of the Files of Time.
"File number 549372 please." I call out and one of the candles transforms into a hand and after a second or so reappears with my selected file. "Play" I say and I find myself in the clearing.
"No Kagome, don't look back, keep running" my little Shippo says. I fight the urge not to break down and cry.
"Forward" I say, my voice wavering a little. The scene before me plays out faster, but I can still see the happenings. I close my eyes, not wanting a reminder of the last moments of my friends. "Stop" I call out just as Inuyasha begins circling me… after Shippo…. Inuyasha runs at my neck and hits me in my stomach, I collide with a tree and fall down. I stop watching myself and focus on Inuyasha. Suddenly, he fades from the scene. There! I think to myself. "Rewind a minute prior." I say to the scene and I find myself being attacked once more. I study Inuyasha's expressions. First he grins, looking as I ram into a tree. Then, I could see the grin turn into surprise. "Pause" I yell and the look freezes on his face. "Three seconds further" I say and Inuyasha's feet begin to fade. "Two seconds back" I say, trying to locate something I may have missed. I gasp.
Barely visible and obscured by Inuyasha's back is a shadow, too faint to show me any physical features, but enough to tell me something's wrong. What or who is this? Is this shadow the thing I have been searching for? Is this the cause of all my misery? I clench my fists. One thing is sure now; I can save Inuyasha if I find the shadow. It's possible…
Sesshoumaru, the following Morning. In his study
I close my heavy eyes, slowly and then open them as quickly as I can without hurting them. This is no time for losing concentration. Kami knows I need to focus. The Miko's resurrection was not cheap. Even 'expensive' is an understatement. With ten courses in the main feast and five in the minor one, feeding thousands of people is a very costly business. It had taken a toll on my granaries, fields, cattle and countless other things including my treasury. I couldn't even charge much for admission because of every man's right to a religious ceremony. Maybe if I kill a few villages before the next one, there would be fewer mouths to feed…. I stop myself in my thoughts. There will never be a next one.
I take a deep relaxing sigh and turn my attention to my papers. I knew I shouldn't have planned so many courses. The humans would have praised me for three courses, but I give them five. I'm even fattening them up, making them all the more appealing to the demon passers by. At least this is the last sacrificial feast. Without a human sacrifice, there is no need for the lot of stinking humans. Oh why won't these numbers shrink? Are they even accurate? Slow, careful footsteps jerk me out of my exasperated mood. I hear the Miko approaching, stopping at my door and taking a deep breath.
She knocks on my door a polite number of times. "Enter" I say, and she does, quietly. She is wearing a light green kimono, pleasant for an unpleasant visit.
"You weren't at breakfast." She states.
"I don't need to eat." I answer monotone. Raising an eyebrow, I remark, "Has the Miko finally grown some legs?"
"Rather grown a pair of stubs. My lack of exercise is costing me my stamina, even you must understand that." She answers gently, taking great care in her words."
"What is it that you want? You didn't come down here for small talk. If so, you're more a fool than I had thought."
"May I?" She points to a free cushion. I nod and she gratefully sits down, her weak legs all but collapsing. "I am here about your brother."
"I do not have a brother."
"Inuyasha" she grimaces at the name, just as I do internally.
"Then your stupidity has no limits."
"You promised."
"I know I did." I sigh. Is there anyway to get out of this without killing the wench? After a moments pause, I say, slowly, "Do you have something to tell me?"
"Your brother is alive. I've found you proof. Last night I visited the Files of Time and I minutely observed Inuyasha's disappearance from the file. I've found something that went unnoticed before."
"Go on."
"A second prior to his disappearance, in the background there is a shadow. And a second later it is gone." At this I almost laugh. The girl delivered my escape on a silver platter.
"I fail to see the proof here. A leaf falling off a tree could have created that shadow."
"It was too big!"
"Still, shadows are not capable of such a thing. What you are suggesting is impossible. Shadows are things that are made up in bedtime stories. Because you have failed to give me sufficient information, I will remove myself from this case. You are on your own." I smile inside. This was almost too perfect.
"This is your tanechigai we're talking about." I simply stare at her and watch her get frustrated. "You must help me save him."
"I do not need to do anything."
"You share the same father! Do it for his sake!" She is almost crying, but that does not give her an excuse for this mistake.
"Do not ever even think about involving my father in this!" I stand up, rage inside me almost boiling. "I do not need to be reminded of his shortcomings by a girl like you."
"Shortcomings?" She whispers, barely audible.
"You backed me into a corner and expected something to come of that. No one does that to this Sesshoumaru. Your fantasy with Inuyasha has ended. The faster you realize this, the better off everyone will be." I change the subject, rage subsiding. It is not right that a girl could anger me so many times and live.
"Inuyasha is alive. I know he is." Her eyes are lowered to the ground, fists clenched. The words are coming out with fragile definition. But she does not cry. I know she would like that more than anything. I can almost taste the salt in her eyes. But she does not let a single tear fall. "Will you not even see it?"
"Shadows are for children." She looks up and stares into my eyes. Suddenly a coughing fit washes over her and I smell blood. Not as much as before, but still not a good sign. "You are not well. I will send for someone to bring you to your room."
"Sesshoumaru. Please, you must help me." She repeats herself, a last futile attempt.
"What could I possibly gain from doing so? A half-wit half-brother? Some death records? I can live without both."
She lowers her gaze. "You must realize. I will die without him."
This stops me for a moment and I look away from her. Is Inuyasha the cure for this non-existent disease? If so, I do have something to gain:a fully functional Miko and power. This can be very profitable, but too risky for me to figure out the details. She is boring her eyes into my back, I am sure. I can feel them on me, their gaze never faltering. She knows that she gave me a bone to chew on, and this Sesshoumaru does not like to be compared to filthy animals. But I can't do anything about it. This is disgusting me. I do not see a way out of this one.
"I will go with you and look upon this shadow of yours, but not today. Once I am done cleaning up after this expensive rebirth of yours, I will look into it. But I do not promise to do anything about it." I can hear her smile, it is so loud. But her joy is quickly drowned out by another fit of coughing. She collapses onto the floor in a faint, her light grey cushion streaked with red. No doubt it will fade into the fabric in a matter of hours, like it did on her kimono. A servant comes into my study, as though he had sensed my call telepathically. He bows, picks up the Miko and bows awkwardly again with her in his arms, leaving my study. "Gently" I whisper as the door closes shut.
I may have to help the girl. It will be an inconvenience to me if she somehow dies. My realm may even revolt against her death, perhaps assuming it were somehow my fault. Their savior lived and died within a year. One more of them will die at the hands of religion and one more feast will take place. I will not have it. I watch a drop of blood slide off a corner of the cushion and evaporate before my eyes.
Vocabulary:
tanechigai: 'half-brother'
Sorry guys, I had most of this chapter done weeks ago, but I did not have an ending, so I couldn't put it up going to try to update more frequently, but I know that it will be almost impossible to update next week.. I'll try to the week following that one.
Anyway: response to reviewers. Hope to have more than two next time.
Thanks to my faithful reviewers… I probably lost you because of this time gap (what was it … a month? I have 2 big tournaments…plus a minor one… so busy and I have a 5-10 page bio paper to write and still have to read 300 pages on the topic I'm supposed to be writing about… ugh!)
Spdsgrl: Thanks a bunchies for your thoughtfulness, I probably won't get a lot until I reach chapter 20. People like to read about sexual stuff… and mine is a bit lacking at the moment :cough:. Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I know this chapter is not spectacular, but I'm stressed out here XD.
Whiteforest23: Well, about the matrix thing. Sometimes, when I proofread I notice some stuff. And the whole THE ONE thing… it just seemed like the matrix to me… maybe I'm just seeing things. That's probably it . . Thanks for reviewing.
Sp: Well, I got it all figured out.
Kag: Figured what out?
Sp: How to get me more reviews.
Kag: Isn't that uh…. Obvious?
Sp: Yes it is. You know how when some fics get popular and the author has like… 40 thousand people reviewing them per chappie. And none of them get answers back.
Kag: I don't see where you're going with this…
Sp: Well, if I promise to respond to every single review given to me, won't I be encouraging more reviews?
Kag: Not really, no. I think you should just update more often...
Sp: I don't care what you think! I don't pay you to think for me!
Kag: -.-…. You don't pay me….
Sp: Well, good, with all this good for nothing thinking….
Kag: Oh, just shut up : Hits Spoken with a frying pan:
Sp. O.o you can't do that!
BLEEP>>>>
Sess: Spoken is currently unavailable right now, care to leave a message or just leave? Please. Leave. Now. While you still have all of your fingers.
Review PLEASE XD
Sp: I am not desperate. I am just…desperate… :face falls:
Toodles
Spoken
